Award-winning actor Rukiya Bernard, most recently recurred on the Emmy-nominated series Yellowjackets. She has a passion for interior design and is a burgeoning writer, director and producer. With numerous credits to her name, Bernard has used her experience to mentor young actors, adjudicate film competitions and has a passion for increasing diversity and equity on screen through her independent film work and various panels.
Bernard was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and is of Jamaican and Kenyan heritage. As a shy child, her parents enrolled her in a variety of programs to get her out of her shell. They immersed her in sports and arts programs, and she excelled at classical ballet - training and performing with Opera Atelier. Bernard not only excelled in dance, but also earned her brown belt in karate-do and completed the Royal Conservatory’s classical piano program.
Having to make the choice between pursuing a career as a pianist or an actor, she chose the latter and was accepted to one of Canada’s top theater schools, Ryerson University, and graduated with honors. Immediately after graduating Bernard won a lead role in Ernest Dickerson’s Peabody Award winning film Our America opposite Josh Charles, Irma P. Hall and Mykelti Williamson.
She has worked nonstop since that time and have more than 80 credits, including starring in the TV series Van Helsing (Netflix/Syfy) and recurring in Yellowjackets (Showtime), Alaska Daily (ABC), Family Law (The CW/CTV), Nancy Drew (The CW), Supernatural (The CW) and appearing in the films Cabin in the Woods, Float and the upcoming Solitary.
Bernard has appeared in a wide variety of television movies including Hallmark Channel’s popular One Winter Weekend trilogy and the Christmas in Evergreen franchise. She can also be seen in Lifetime’s An Amish Sin and Ungodly Acts as well as Disney’s musical adaptation of Freaky Friday.
Having worked so much in front of the camera, she is passionate about increasing representation behind the scenes and has produced a variety of short films including the multi-award-winning film The Blactor (written/directed by Bernard) and the upcoming Yaye (CBC.)
